Many social and political concepts of our time have become the brainchild of the last few hundred years. Democracy, freedom, republic - all these concepts appeared not so long ago, if you do not take into account the interrupted tradition of antiquity forgotten for centuries. But people always knew what legitimacy is. Although this concept was not as clearly defined as it is today, however, any monarch sought this recognition, no matter how great his strength and self-confidence. So let's take a closer look at what legitimacy is. This term, derived from the Roman word legitimus (lawful), means the consent of the popular opinion of the country with its power, political structure, state institutions. That is, legitimate power is that power with the majority of which agrees
of the people. There is one more point in this concept. Legitimacy is also the recognition of conditional authority as plenipotentiary by the relevant authorities abroad. This, firstly, implies that the laws issued by the government will be executed by the vast majority of the population, and this population is in accordance with the laws, since it is in accordance with the government. Secondly, this means that such a government has the right to speak on behalf of its people in the international arena, and this opinion should be taken into account. Everything is quite simple, as we see.
Concept history
Now, having answered the question of what is legitimacy, we can make sure that it was always necessary for all governments, even if it didn’t exist yet.
definition of a concept in its modern form. The ancient pharaohs and eastern emperors derived their lineage from the deities of the national pantheon, thereby confirming their regular stay on the throne. The right to power of the members of the ancient Greek areopagus was determined by selectivity. The European monarchs of the Renaissance proved their chosenness as a noble family tree, the very long stay of the clan in power already meant this legitimacy. As you can see, even without knowing what legitimacy is in modern scientific terminology, rulers always clearly felt the need to substantiate their own claims. Ultimately, the word "legitimacy" was born after the French Revolution. Its concept was finally clearly outlined by the monarchists, who advocated the return of the rightful king to the throne instead of impostors who usurped the government.
Terminology features
There are various legitimate forms of power. Political science distinguishes three main:
- Traditional. This type is based on the belief of most people in the inevitable submission and strength of this power, on a long habit. This legitimacy should be remembered when it comes to those very ancient pharaohs, kings and emperors.
- Rational. It is also called democratic legitimacy, and it is the most popular in the modern world. In any case, all heads of state are in a hurry to declare this. Such legitimacy begins with the recognition by most people of the democratic nature of the election of a government.
- Charismatic. It develops as a result of people's faith in the ideal image of their ruler. An example of such legitimacy can be religious leaders, partly totalitarian dictators, whom propaganda has turned into demigods, and which have gained fanatical support from the people.
At the same time, the legality and legitimacy of state power should not be confused with each other. If we have already dealt with the first, then legality is a clear correspondence with constitutional norms and state laws. It is an exclusively legal concept.
